He and Frank had lived together for so many
years that his loyal heart ached with grief for that surly, faithful old
partner of his.
But Lorraine's fighting blood was up, and she could not waste time in
weeping. She drank a cup of coffee, went out and called Jim, and told
him that she was going to take a ride, and that she wanted a decent
horse.
"You can take mine," Jim offered. "He's gentle and easy-gaited. I'll go
saddle up. When do you want to go?"
"Right now, as soon as I'm ready. I'll fix dad's breakfast, and you can
look after him until Lone and Swan come back. One of them will stay with
him then. I may be gone for three or four hours. I'll go crazy if I stay
here any longer."
Jim eyed her while he bit off a chew of tobacco. "It'd be a good thing
if you had some neighbor woman come in and stay with yuh," he said
slowly. "But there ain't any I can think of that'd be much force. You
take Snake and ride around close and forget things for awhile." He
hesitated, his hand moving slowly back to his pocket. "If yuh feel like
you want a gun----"
Lorraine laughed bitterly. "You don't think any accident would happen to
_me_, do you?"
"Well, no--er I wouldn't advise yuh to go ridin'," Jim said
thoughtfully.
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